Child of the Empty Cradle
by Solarina
Summary: Sequel to The Empty Cradle. Past USJP mpreg. Because of the child's resemblance to his mother, Alfred named him Kiku. He lives a carefree life until World War III breaks out and he finds himself pitted against his own family.  And what of the aftermath?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Here it is! The sequel to "The Empty Cradle." Obviously, if you have not read it, I suggest you do so that way this story will make more sense. Unless you want to read this story first and then "Then Empty Cradle" that's fine with me XD Hetalia is not mine, it belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz, I just write fanfics for it. The children, on the other hand (like Kiku N. Jones-Honda), those belong to me. Now for those of you who have read this on deviantart, I know this prologue is different, but that's because I wanted to make some improvements, the rest of the story will be the same!

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><p>A Flower's Introduction<p>

It felt nice to get away from the city and all its noise, not to mention the military base. Here, out in the countryside, I felt so much lighter as I stood right in the middle of the red flower field. A gentle breeze passed by and gently went through my black hair.

Oh my apologies, I should introduce myself. My name is Kiku Nathaniel Jones-Honda. I am the son of Alfred F. Jones and Kiku Honda, the personifications of America and Japan. The field that I am standing in is within the country known as Russia, while the city I mentioned was Moscow. Ever since the end of the war, my family and friends have been living here at the military base that was also built at the end of the war. Camp Rockefeller* it was named. It is nice, but after living there for nearly two years, this flower field seemed so much better, without any walls surrounding me. I felt so free and peaceful, which are two things I haven't felt for awhile now.

A hand on my shoulder broke me out of my thoughts, making me look over my shoulder. It was my father. He smiled at me and tousled my black hair like he always did.

"Lunch is ready, Kiku." he said.

I smiled back at him. "I'll be right there."

Dad withdrew his hand and walked back to the group of tents that were about six feet behind me. I just stood where I was for a moment, watching his retreating back before following him. Everyone else was coming out of their tents to gather around the ring of stones where we had our campfire last night. Francis, Arthur, Ivan-san, Yao-ojisan, Henri, Louis, Mari, Giovanna, and Zhu. Giovanna sent me a wave, which I returned. I took a seat between my two best friends, Henri and Mari, as we waited for our food to be served to us.

I know we all look happy now, and carefree, but it wasn't like this during the war. Oh, no… Those were much darker times. It's hard for me to talk about it sometimes, but I'm sure you're all dying to know what happened before this trip to the flower field. It is a long story, but it is one that shouldn't be forgotten, not just for our own sakes, but for the sake of the rest of the world. I will share everyone's story the way I saw it through my own two eyes.

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><p><strong>AN:** *In real life, there is no US military base in Russia called Camp Rockefeller. It only exists in this fanfic!* Now, the format of this story is going to run a little differently from my usual story formats. The other Nation children will be given a proper introduction in the future chapters, I'm only writing this way to keep the suspense. Other POV's besides Kiku's will be given in the future. Don't you worry, I have the next chapter already up, I just need to edit it first.


	2. Child Raising Arc Part 1

**Author's Note:** So, I made some adjustments to this chapter as well. I also gave the rest of the Asia family human names. For Hong Kong, I'm aware that in the past it was believed that his English-given name was Horace Wang, but when I looked at the Hetalia shoutwiki recently, it said in a recent blog post that HK's potential names are Wang Jia Long (Wong Kha Loung in Cantonese) and Li Xiao Chun (Lei Siu Chun in Cantonese). The shoutwiki also said he was given the English name Leon. Me, I'm going to go ahead and use Wang Jia Long as his name since Wang is also China's last name. Now, for the rest of the family:

Taiwan - Anmíng  
>Thailand - Aran<br>Vietnam - Thi

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><p>Family Reunion<p>

_Of course I don't remember the times when I was a baby, so I won't talk about those memories. I'd rather start with happy memories from my childhood, back when times were better…_

"Papa… Papa… Papa."

"Hmm? Wha…?"

I stood beside Dad's bed, fully dressed, as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before looking at the digital clock that was on the nightstand. The red letters read 4:00 A.M. He averted his gaze to me. "Kiku, why are you up so early? The sun's not even out yet." he said.

It was true. Outside, the sky was still dark and the only source of light in Dad's room was coming from the hallway lights that I had turned on.

I tilted my head to the side. "Papa, did you forget? We're supposed to go to Uncle Yao's house today and you told me to wake up really early so we could get on a plane."

I could tell from Dad's expression that he was thinking over my words. Suddenly his eyes widened in realization and he kicked the covers off of him. "Oh sh-oot!" he exclaimed. (Since I was only five years old at the time, Dad watched his mouth whenever I was around him.)

"Kiku, get your things ready by the front door while I get dressed, okay?" he said as he walked toward the bathroom.

"Yes!" I said eagerly.

I exited Dad's room and went into my own, which was right across from his, going quickly to retrieve my Pikachu plush off my bed before grabbing my small suitcase that was leaning against the wall. Just as Dad told me to, I left my suitcase by the front door.

Once that was taken care of, I went to the living room and sat on the couch, hugging Pikachu close to me. I smiled to myself. I couldn't wait to see Uncle Yao again, along with all my other aunts and uncles. Well, except for one uncle. In fact, I preferred not to see him at all. Ivan Braginsky… I tightened my hold on Pikachu, feeling myself tremble slightly as I thought about how he towered over me and the way he said 'kolkolkolkolkol.' I had no blood ties with Ivan, he had married into the family just as my dad did with my mother. Ivan's spouse was none other than Uncle Yao.

Wang Yao was my mother's oldest brother (or so he says). I liked him, he was nice to me and he was always making those Chinese sweets of his whenever I came over to visit. Still, I wished that he wasn't so picky about the way everyone ate their food…

The feel of someone tousling my hair broke me out of my trance. I looked up to meet Dad's blue eyes.

He smiled at me. "Ready to go, kiddo?"

I smiled back and nodded. "Yeah!"

I got off the couch and headed for the front door, but stopped when I saw Dad going back to get his large suitcase. I walked past him.

"Don't worry, Papa, I'll get it for you." I said as I held Pikachu with one hand and reached out the other one towards the suitcase's handle.

"That's alright, Kiku, I've got it. I'm strong, remember?" I heard Dad say.

I smiled as I pulled the much larger suitcase along as though it were nothing. "Yes, but I'm strong too!" I chirped.

Dad also smiled, pride written all over his face. "Yep, just like me."

Aside from the one hair on my head that always stood up and my blue eyes*, I had also inherited Dad's amazing strength, which was why a large suitcase was easy to pull for a five year old like me. Dad opened the front door, letting me go out first. He grabbed my smaller suitcase and went after me, locking the door behind him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Uncle Yao!" I called as I ran over to him through the crowds.

He turned around just in time for me to hug him around his waist. He smiled down at me and patted my head.

"Aiyaa, Kiku, you've gotten taller since the last time I saw you, aru." he said to me.

I pulled away from him and laughed. "But you saw me only six months ago. I don't think I grew at all."

"That's because you don't notice it as much as others do, aru." he said.

"Kiku!"

I turned around and saw Dad jogging toward us.

"Papa, I found Uncle Yao!" I said proudly.

"That's good, but I told you to stay where I can see you. Don't ever do that again, understand." he scolded. His voice wasn't angry at all, just concerned, but I still hung my head.

"Sorry, Papa." I mumbled.

I felt Uncle Yao pull me closer to him.

"You are such a hypocrite," he said to my father, "Acting so mature when in reality you are still such a rebel. aru."

"Hey, I calmed down after I married Kiku, remember?" Dad retorted. Of course the 'Kiku' he was talking about was my mother, Kiku Honda.

I heard Uncle Yao chuckle. "Please, you remained the same way even after you got married, aru. I still wonder how he managed to keep up with you."

"I had my ways of helping him keep in pace with me." said Dad, smirking a little.

I soon felt Uncle Yao cover my ears with his hands. "Don't say those things in front of such a young child, aru!"

I looked up at my uncle in confusion. "I don't even know what Papa is talking about."

"You don't have to, in fact, it is better that you don't." Uncle Yao told me as he took his hands off my ears.

He put a hand on my shoulder and looked at the vast crowds of people within the airport. He used a free hand to rub at one of his temples. "Now, let's get out of here before more crowds show up. All this noise is giving me a headache, aru." he was already leading us toward the exit as he finished speaking.

We had left from California early in the morning and arrived in Uncle Yao's country late at night*, allowing the cold evening wind to welcome us as the automatic doors slid open to let us out.

"By the way, I brought Anya with me. She'll bring the car over here, aru." Uncle Yao said as we walked along the front of the airport.

"Really? How is she, anyway?" Dad asked.

"She's doing just fine, aru." my uncle answered.

Anya was my older cousin, as well as Ivan and Uncle Yao's oldest child. Anya was thirteen by the time I was born, and now that I was five, that made her eighteen. I was kind of scared of her actually, because she reminded me of her father. She had the same hair color and she was really tall too, but she had Uncle Yao's brown eyes and personality... when she wasn't angry. Should Anya become angered, she turns into a person that's just as scary as Ivan.

A red car pulled up beside us and I saw Anya get out from the driver's side. Her long, pale hair trailed down her back as she walked toward us.

"Hello Alfred. Hello Kiku." She said with a smile on her pink lips.

"Dang, Anya, you're getting as tall as that commie bast-" her mother elbowed Dad in the ribs to stop him from finishing that sentence. Whether it was because I was there, or because he didn't like to hear his husband being badmouthed, I didn't know.

"Thank you for driving the car over here, Anya. I'll drive us home, aru." said Uncle Yao, smiling at her gently.

Anya nodded her head and walked back to the car so she could get in the backseat. After Dad took my suitcase from me and started helping Uncle Yao with loading our luggage in the trunk, I joined her in the back. I put my seat belt on and hugged Pikachu close to me again. For some reason I always felt comforted whenever I hugged that plush. Dad told me that perhaps it was because that Pikachu plush had belonged to Mother before I was born.

I felt Anya's eyes on me, so I looked at her. She was smiling at me, that same doll smile as her father's. "That's a cute Pikachu you've got there, Kiku." she said. "Who gave it to you?"

"U-Um… This used to belong to Mama. Papa won it for him at a fair and decided to pass it down unto me." I said timidly.

"How sweet~" said Anya.

I heard the trunk close and soon our parents were joining us in the car. I was quiet the whole ride home, for it turned out that I was tired from the trip after all. Somewhere along the way I fell asleep and Dad had to carry me into Uncle Yao's house. I remember being half-conscious by the time Dad put me down on a bed and tucked me in. He stroked my black hair a couple of times before kissing me on the forehead and leaving the room. I slept like a log until the smell of Uncle Yao's cooking made its way under the crack of my door the next morning.

The growling of my stomach added to the fact that I didn't eat much food the night before. I sat up in the bed I was in, stretched my arms, and yawned. I rubbed away the small tears I had in my eyes before taking some time to look at the room I was in. Though it was guestroom it was furnished quite nicely. There was a dresser in the corner with a little mirror, an armchair in the other corner of the room, a circular red rug on the floor, a ceiling light, and the bed I was sitting on. I also noticed that there was an empty blue sleeping bag on the floor.

Dad's… After socializing with the adults, he must have come back into the room while I was sleeping and put it there for him to sleep in.

The smell of food became stronger and my stomach growled even louder, making me lose my focus on anything else but food. I got out of bed and left Pikachu sitting on my pillow as I exited the room. Right away, I was greeted by the smell of rice, beef noodle soup, and vegetables. My stomach continued to growl quite loudly as I quickened my pace down the hallway. When I entered the kitchen, I noticed that Dad, Uncle Yao, Ivan, Anya, Zhu, and the twins were already there. Uncle Yao was at the stove, adding the finishing touches to our breakfast, while Ivan was sitting at the large wooden table, balancing the twins on his lap as they gurgled happily.

The twins' names were Nikita and Lien-Hua. Nikita was the older twin and a quiet boy. He had pale blonde hair like Ivan, and he had both his parents' eyes. Nikita's left eye was violet like Ivan's and the right eye was brown like Uncle Yao's. Lien-Hua, the younger twin, was the same, only the brown eye was her left and the violet one was her right, then she also had black hair like her mother.

I liked Nikita and Lien-Hua, they were cute and were still very small, for they were less than a year old. I remember that before the twins were born, Uncle Yao's tummy had gotten bigger and he was always switching his moods. I asked Dad why that was so, and he told me that Uncle Yao would be having twins. Then I asked him how the babies got inside his tummy, but Dad didn't give me a direct answer on that one; he told me that I would learn when I was older. When the twins were finally born and he was well enough to start working around the house again, Uncle Yao was back to his skinny form within a matter of weeks. Zhu told me it was because he was always doing things like martial arts and drinking green tea with every meal.

Speaking of Zhu, I saw him sitting on the floor, hugging his Shinatty-chan plush close to him. Zhu was five just like me, but he had been born before me by three months. He was like a copy of Uncle Yao, except he had violet eyes like Ivan. His black hair was short, but just long enough to be held in a small ponytail, which he always wore. Unlike his older sister Anya, Zhu didn't seem to have inherited his father's frightening personality. He did, however, had the habit of saying "aru" after nearly every sentence he spoke. Being the same age, we got along very well and were like brothers to each other.

Finally, I saw Anya and Dad sitting at the table with Ivan and the twins. Dad noticed me and waved, smiling as always.

"Hey, Kiku, you're finally up." he said.

Everyone turned their heads to look at me, even the twins. Uncle Yao only looked at me for one second before turning his attention back to the stove.

"_Zǎo ān*, Kiku._"he greeted, his back facing me as he stirred something in the pot.

Nikita and Lien-Hua gurgled happily when their eyes landed on me while Ivan smiled that creepy grin of his at me, which sent shivers down my spine.

"доброе утро*, Kiku." he said to me.

Even though I was afraid of Ivan, I didn't want to be rude by not returning his greeting. I swallowed hard and said, "G-Good morning, Uncle Ivan."

He continued to smile at me, even when the twins started wiggling around in his arms. "Oh… Why are you so shy? Come and give your Uncle Ivan a hug-"

"Quit harassing my kid, Ivan." Dad intervened. When I looked at his face he didn't look very pleased at all.

The Russian man, my uncle by law, sent a glance at Dad, still wearing that smile on his face. "No need to be hostile, Alfred. I was just trying to be friendly."

"Just because you're married to Yao doesn't mean that I consider _you_ as family." said Dad.

Ivan chuckled and said in a dark voice, "True, I can't bring myself to think of you as a brother either, comrade. But your resistance will all be useless in the end since you and your son will become one with me someday-"

"As interesting as this conversation is…" said Uncle Yao sarcastically as he began setting food on the table, "I don't think that any of the children need to hear the end of it."

Anya looked at him innocently. "But Baba*, I'm not a child anymore. Besides, I already know about Papa's plans to make everyone become one with him."

"You may think that you're no longer a child, Anya, but you are," returned Uncle Yao, "And you're still too young to be having conservations like that with your father."

Anya gave an irritated huff and turned her head away from her mother's gaze as she pouted. I saw Zhu stand up so he could walk towards me, still hugging his Shinatty-chan (that thing really creeps me out by the way).

"Anya and Baba have been arguing like that for weeks now, aru." he whispered to me.

Ah, yes… Even though Anya had the same personality as Uncle Yao's when she was calm, the two didn't exactly see eye to eye. Though they argued often it was never about anything serious, just small things. He would merely scold Anya, causing her to huff and pout. Though I was frightened of her, I had a feeling that her arguments with her mother were her ways of showing daughterly affection.

Zhu took a seat beside his father at the table while I sat down by my own father. Once all the food was set down on the table, Uncle Yao took the twins from Ivan-san and put them in their feeding chairs. Out of the corner of my eye I watched him spoon feed Nikita and Lien-Hua. Lien-Hua ate whatever was fed to her, but Nikita wouldn't open his mouth, causing some of the carrot to get on his face. Uncle Yao would sigh as he wiped it off with a napkin. It took him two more tries before Nikita finally opened his mouth and ate the soft carrots.

As for me, the first thing that I went for was the beef noodle soup. I loved meat and all, but I didn't overeat it like a _certain someone_. I liked salty food as well, such as salted salmon! For now, though, I had way more vegetables on my plate than Dad had on his own.

With everyone eating, things calmed down. Even Dad and Ivan didn't snap at each other. We all talked about how our lives were and what we had been doing since we last saw each other. Then Dad reminded the other two adults that there would be another UN meeting next month.

Uncle Yao groaned. "Oh, please don't remind me, aru. I have four children I have to take along with me."

"Why don't you just leave them with Leon*, or Anmíng?" Dad asked.

"I don't want to burden them, aru. Especially with my oldest one." answered Uncle Yao , glancing at Anya before continuing to feed the twins.

Anya just giggled at her mother's comment as she put her spoon of congee to her lips.

This UN meeting that Dad was talking about would be the first one that I would have the chance of tagging along with him. He thought that I was old enough to come with him on most of his trips now, so he agreed to take me with him to New York. Before, Dad would leave me in the care of Aunt Anmíng, one of my mother's sisters, as he went to the meetings or to other countries (the only other countries I had been to were China and Japan). He also told me that I would meet other children around my age besides Zhu, so I was excited. I already knew most of their parents, like Arthur and Francis. I remember that during one of their visits to our house they mentioned their son, Henri.

When we had finished eating and put our plates in the sink, Zhu and I ran outside to play in front of the house. Uncle Yao's house was very large (all the Nations had big houses) and was surrounded by a beautiful, green bamboo groove, which was perfect to play hide and seek in. I was counting while Zhu tried to find a hiding spot. I made the decision that this would be a perfect time to practice my Japanese*.

"_Ichi. Ni. San. Yon. Go. Roku. Nana. Hachi. Kyuu. Juu!_" I stopped covering my eyes and looked around, trying to catch any sign of movement. I walked over to the right side of the thicket and looked, but Zhu wasn't there.

"He's over there!" I heard a familiar voice cry out to me.

I turned around and saw Uncle Yong Soo across from me, standing by some bamboo stalks and pointing his finger in their direction. That's when I noticed a sudden flurry of movement there, so I ran towards that spot before Zhu could get away and find another hiding spot. I jumped through the space that was between the bamboo stalks and tackled Zhu, knocking him to the ground.

"Ow! Kiku! You play too rough, aru!" said Zhu as he tried to get me off his back.

"Sorry." I apologized as I rolled off of him.

I pulled him up and he began to dust off his pants, which now had some dirt on them. Since his pants were white it could be seen easily no matter how hard he dusted at them.

"And it's not fair! Shūshu* helped you cheat, aru!" he said as he continued his attempts to get the dirt off his clothes.

Uncle Yong Soo continued to smile at us. "Sorry, I thought that Kiku was actually looking for you, Zhu."

Now Uncle Yong Soo was not the type of man who liked to ruin people's fun, and Zhu knew this, but he was still a bit upset. Suddenly, he ran over to us and picked both of us up into his arms, swinging us around a little. "Ah, it's so good to see my two cute nephews da ze!" he said happily.

Yong Soo was another one of my mother's brothers. He always had a smile on his face and a lot of energy. In short, he was a kid trapped in a man's body. I liked him because he was fun to be around, although there were some characteristics of his that I found a bit... I don't know... disturbing. Dad told me that back then, Uncle Yong Soo was always trying to grope at my mother's chest, and if he was caught by my dad, he would "sock him on the head," as my father liked to put it. However, it wasn't until shortly after this family reunion when Dad actually told me this information.

"Put them down, Yong Soo. If Yao and Alfred find you swinging them around like that, it won't be good." said a feminine voice.

Through the swinging, I saw my other aunts and uncles appear on the scene. Jia Long, Thi, Aran, and Anmíng. Aunt Thi was the one who had told Uncle Yong Soo to put us down, which he did.

"Sorry, I was just happy to see them, that's all." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

After recovering from our dizziness, Zhu and I ran over to our other relatives to greet them. Aunt Anmíng kneeled down and embraced the two of us.

"Zhu. Kiku. It's good to see you again." she said to us.

"It's nice to see you too, Auntie Anmíng." I said.

Aunt Anmíng was the one who took care of me when Dad's twin brother, Matthew, could not while he went on trips. She was always kind to me and told stories of when she, my mother, and the rest of the Asia family were growing up together. She never seemed to stop smiling and she was fun and energetic, but she didn't have a groping fetish like Uncle Yong Soo.

She pulled away from us so we could greet the rest of our relatives.

"Kiku. Zhu. I hope you have been good to your parents." our other uncle, Aran, said to us with a bow.

"Of course we have,_ Shūshu_!"

"You know I'm always good to Papa!"

Uncle Aran was yet another one of my mother's brothers. He gave me a stuffed elephant toy for my fourth birthday, which I still have. He was calm and quiet.

Uncle Jia Long was the next one to greet us. At first, he looked at Zhu and I with a stony expression, but then we saw his eyes brighten slightly. Smiling wasn't exactly a hobby for him, so it's not like we were expecting him to do so. "Zhu, Kiku," he gave us a small bow.

Zhu smiled and returned the bow, but I-

"Hi, Uncle Jia!" I chirped.

My greeting caused his cheeks to turn the slightest tint of pink, but his face remained in its usual stoney expression.* I knew he preferred to be called by his full first name, but I thought Uncle Jia had a better ring to it, which is why I addressed him as such. He had the same personality as my mother, quiet, stone-faced, and serious, except Mother had smiled much more often than he did. At least, that's what I assumed judging by the family pictures.

Aunt Thi was the last to greet Zhu and I. She smiled at us and patted our heads. _"Xin chào, Zhu. Xin chào, Kiku*."_she greeted the both of us.

_"Nihao, Āyí*."_

"Auntie Thi!" I flung myself at her, causing her to laugh and lift me up into her arms.

By this time, Dad, Uncle Yao, Anya, and Ivan had heard the commotion and came outside. Anya was holding both Nikita and Lien-Hua in her arms. The twins tilted their heads to the side when they saw their other Asian relatives. Since they were so young and the whole Asia family would only get together every few months, they hadn't recognized anyone besides their parents and siblings.

Dad smiled and waved at everyone from the porch. "Hey, everyone! Good to see you again!"

Everyone returned the greeting, even Aunt Thi.

"Aiyaa, perfect timing." said Uncle Yao as he walked over to us. "There's still plenty of food on the table, aru."

"Hiya, Hyeong-nim*!" cried Uncle Yong Soo as he bounded toward the other man.

When he reached his older brother, he trapped him in a tight hug and nuzzled his cheek against the other's hair.

"Hyeong-nim, I really missed you. It's been awhile since we've seen each other." He tightened his hold on Uncle Yao.

"Yong Soo... can't breath... aru..." Uncle Yao managed to say aloud.

I saw a gleam in Ivan's eyes and I swear that I saw his lips moving. He was probably muttering "kolkolkolkol." He put a hand on Uncle Yong Soo's shoulder.

"Would you be so kind as to stop suffocating my wife?" he asked in a voice that sent icicles down my back.

Uncle Yong Soo trembled slightly before releasing Uncle Yao.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Ivan. I am not a woman, therefore, I am not your wife, aru." he said in an irritated voice once he was able to catch his breath.

"But you are the smaller one, and you are the one who carried four children." said Ivan, his good mood restored.

Uncle Yao blushed. "Y-yes, that's true, but I'm not a woman. I'm your husband, aru."

"You're my wife." said Ivan, deaf to his spouse's words.

Uncle Yao blushed a darker shade of red and gave an irritated huff as he turned his back on Ivan.

I could hear Aunt Anmíng trying to stifle her laughter. After all, it wasn't everyday she got to see her eldest brother embarrassed like this. He soon regained his composure, however, and turned around to face everyone. He smiled.

"Come in, come in! I'm sure you all must be tired and hungry from your trip, aru. Let me serve you some food." he said to his younger siblings.

One by one, they followed Uncle Yao into his house. Aunt Thi put me back down on the ground before she followed the rest of her family. As she passed my father, he smiled at her.

"Hey, Thi! How are you?" he greeted.

She stopped walking and looked at him. A small smile appeared on her lips, but then she suddenly gave Dad's ahoge a hard tug. Dad's eyes screwed shut in pain and I thought I saw small tears at the side of his eyes*. He flinched when Aunt Thi released him. She was still smiling and gave him a pat on the shoulder before entering the house. Dad just stood in place for a moment, flabbergasted, before sighing and sending a look at Ivan.

"She's still mad at me, isn't she?" he asked.

Ivan just smiled. "Da."

* * *

><p>*I know that originally in <em>The Empty Cradle<em>, I wrote that the baby Kiku had brown eyes like his mother, but I decided to change that by giving him some more features from his father, which is why he has blue eyes now.

*It might not be accurate, but I'm going to guess that if Alfred and his son left from California on the West Coast of the US early in the morning, they would arrive in China by evening. Again, it is only a guess.

(Sorry, if any of this is inaccurate. If it is, please let me know!)

*_Zǎo ān _- Good morning (Mandarin)

*доброе утро - Good morning (Russian)

*Baba - Father; papa (Mandarin)

*Alfred addressed Hong Kong by his English given name "Leon" just because it's easier for him to remember.

*Without his mother to teach him, Kiku wouldn't be too fluent with Japanese yet. Though, Alfred does teach him whatever Japanese he learned in the past. That is why, unlike the deviantart version of this chapter, Kiku does not address his relatives with the honorific "oba-san," "oji-san," or "-san" yet.

*Shūshu - Uncle, as used by children to address older men (Mandarin)

*Hong Kong gets embarrassed when Kiku calls him "Uncle Jia" because the name "Jia" is usually a name given to girls (though some sources say Jia is a unisex name too).

*_Xin chào - _A common greeting in Vietnamese, often used to say "hello."

*_Nihao, Āyí - _Hello, Auntie (Mandarin)

*Hyeong-nim / Hyung-nim - an honorific Korean term of address for a man's older brother. Meaning is "respected older brother."

*No, Vietnam wasn't sexually assaulting America :| I don't think his Nantucket is an erogenous zone, I just think it's a sensitive hair on his head, which is why he expressed pain when Vietnam tugged on it. I used that scene to show that she's still kind of mad at Alfred.

School will be starting for me soon, but I still have some future chapters that are ready to go. The reason this chapter took so long is because I did quite a lot of editing for this chapter, plus I'm finishing up a report that is due on my first day of school.


	3. Child Raising Arc Part 2

**AN:** Just a heads up to my readers who are Korea fans. Don't worry! I promise he won't be all obsessed with breasts in the future chapters. In fact, he gets badass later on, so please don't be offended!

* * *

><p>Child Raising Arc Part 2<br>"I Can At Least Say This..."

That same day when our other relatives arrived at Uncle Yao's house, it wasn't long before Zhu and I were at the table once again. At 7:00PM, everyone was gathered for supper, which included rice (of course), roasted duck, Buddha's delight*, stir fried vegetables, and pan-fried turnip cake*. Dad was sitting across from me this time, while Uncle Yao was at my left and Uncle Yong Soo at my right. At one point, when Dad and the others were lost amidst their chatter, Uncle Yong Soo leaned towards me, whispering, "Hey, Kiku, make sure you eat a lot of food and grow big and strong, okay? That way Uncle Yong Soo can claim your breasts!"

I tilted my head to the side and put down my chopsticks. "What are breasts?" I asked.

…Oh, God… Even today this memory embarrasses me to no end. Since it was only Dad and I living together and with my mother having also been a man, I did not have much contact with women during my early childhood. (Not to mention that Dad never talked about a woman's anatomy let alone sexual references around his five year old son.) The only females I knew at that time were my aunts and my cousins.

Uncle Yong Soo gave me a long stare before he tapped his chin with his finger. "Well, breasts are basically your chest area," he said to me, still whispering.

"My chest?" I asked innocently.

"Yeah, yeah! Promise that when you're older you'll let me claim them!" his face brightened as he spoke. "Yours will probably be as good as your mom's!"

"Mama's?" I tilted my head again. Whether Uncle Yong Soo knew it or not, back then, if you wanted to be certain that I listen, all you had to do was mention my mother and I'd be hooked.

My uncle nodded again, but more eagerly this time. I simply smiled at him before picking my chopsticks back up and then proceeding to shovel rice into mouth. Uncle Yao was the first to notice my sudden quick-eating pace.

"Kiku, I know that you are your father's son, but that does not mean you have to copy his eating habits too, aru." he whispered to me.

I swallowed all the food that was in my mouth before I said happily (and loud enough for everyone to hear), "But I need to eat lots of food so Uncle Yong Soo can claim my breasts!"

Dad choked on whatever he had in his mouth and started gagging. Aunt Anming, who was sitting at his left, struck him on the back repeatedly, but she looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh; Uncle Aran looked down at his lap, blushing; Uncle Jia just stared at Uncle Yong Soo and me; Aunt Thi seemed to have a dark shadow over her eyes; Ivan looked at Dad with an amused expression while his first born covered her mouth with one hand to hide her giggling. Her three younger siblings seemed awfully confused about the situation all together.

I suddenly saw Uncle Yao's arm shoot out over my head and towards Uncle Yong Soo, grabbing that one hair that stood out from the rest.

"YONG SOO, JUST WHAT SORT OF THINGS HAVE YOU BEEN TELLING THIS CHILD?" he roared.

"N-Nya! Come on, Hyung-nim! Not my hair!" Uncle Yong Soo writhed and squirmed in his seat.

Dad's gagging finally ceased as the food went down his throat. He rubbed away the tears that had formed in his eyes before glaring daggers at my Korean uncle.

"Hey, Yong Soo, do you want a repeat of what happened whenever I caught you touching my spouse?" Dad cracked his knuckles as he spoke.

In return, Uncle Yong Soo shook his head immediately, still squirming under his older brother's grasp.

I, a poor five year old child, blinked, confused by everyone's reaction. "But I made a promise to Uncle Yong Soo!"

"No, no, Kiku. You cannot make those sort of promises, aru." Uncle Yao said to me.

"So… I should break the promise, then?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Dad nodded his head and Uncle Yong Soo was finally released from the iron grip. Once that was settled, things at the table reverted back to the former calm atmosphere pretty quickly, but that was the last family dinner where Uncle Yong Soo was allowed to sit next to me.

Now, as much as I would love you tell you all that the rest of the evening was all fun and games, it was not. By the time I was dressed in my pajamas and had just finished brushing my teeth, that was when it happened. I had been feeling a bit lightheaded since the rest of my relatives arrived, but now my head was spinning, as was the room. Dad, who was present with me, noticed how I was stumbling around and he was at my side right away, holding me still by the shoulders.

"Kiku, what's wrong?" he asked me, worry written all over his face.

I tried to speak, but I suddenly felt my dinner rising up my throat. My father saw how much I paled and he heard me choke, so he grabbed the nearby waste basket and held it up for me. I bent over, vomiting right into it. The taste in my mouth was beyond nasty. My hands flew to hold the waste basket on my own as I felt my legs give way, forcing me onto my knees. Dad tried to help me by rubbing circles into my back.

"Does your stomach hurt? I have your medicine in my suitcase." he said in an urgent voice.

I made another attempt to talk, but the vomiting left me feeling weak. I remained on my knees as I put the waste basket down. After a couple of tries, I was able to get at least two words out of my mouth, "I'm tired."

Things faded into black shortly after I mumbled those words. I don't know exactly what happened after I passed out, but when I regained consciousness I found myself on a bed in the hospital, with an IV giving me fluids through one of the veins in my arms. I still had a slight headache, but at least the nausea was gone. I heard the door open and I saw Dad, Uncle Yao, and a doctor at the doorway. All three looked surprised to see me awake. The doctor said something to my uncle in Mandarin before taking him back outside. Dad stayed and walked towards my bed like a moth to flame. He pulled a nearby chair for him to sit in and he began to stroke my hair.

"Kiku, how are you feeling now?" he sounded sad. When I looked into his face, he seemed broken.

"I'm okay now, Papa. I still feel dizzy, but it doesn't feel like I'm going to puke." I said.

Dad said nothing in return, he only continued to stroke my hair. We stayed like that for some time, not talking, just breathing. That forlorn look never left his face and I was thinking about asking him why he was like that. Right when I was about to open my mouth, however, Dad spoke.

"Your Uncle Yao called an ambulance and we followed in his car. Everyone else is home," he said, "The doctor looked at you and he took some blood so he can find out what's wrong with you. It-It will take a few days, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna stay right here. Okay?" he forced a smile onto his lips.

I smiled back at him and gave a nod of my head. He nuzzled my hair only to go back to stroking it soon after. The door opened again a minute later and Uncle Yao came in, except now he looked sad too.

"You," the doctor appeared from behind my uncle and spoke to my father in English, "have to leave. Visiting hours are over."

Dad just stared at him and said in an almost pleading voice, "Can't I just stay here? My son is very young, I don't want to leave him alone."

It was Uncle Yao who addressed the doctor in Mandarin this time, probably trying to convince him into letting my father stay. Whatever he said, it worked, for in the end my father was granted permission to stay with me, he was even allowed to use the hospital showers. Uncle Yao promised to bring him more of his clothes the next day when he visited. Dad smiled for real and he thanked them both.

Uncle Yao walked to my bedside and put a hand on my head affectionately. A gentle smile grazed his lips. "Get better soon, aru."

I smiled back and nodded. "Un!"

He and the doctor left the room, leaving my father and I alone once again. I was unable to stay awake for much longer, though, for my eyes soon grew heavy. I remember Dad watching me fall asleep and when I woke up the next morning, he himself was asleep in his chair, holding my hand in his own. This was how the next few days at the hospital went. I'd wake up in the morning to find Dad sleeping in his chair, Uncle Yao and the others would visit me, and Dad would only leave my side to shower, to get something to eat, or to use the bathroom that was within my room. Yet despite my situation, I was not scared. My dad was right there, my family visited me every day, and I didn't feel sick to the point where I turned green. Zhu would bring his toy soldiers and we would play with them together, Anya would read to me, Nikita and Lien-Hua would simply cuddle with me on my bed, and the rest of the family would sit around me and we would talk about anything we could think of. Despite all these distractions, however, I was worried about Dad. By the third morning dark circles were beginning to form under his eyes and every now and then he'd look at me with the same broken look (though he'd soon cover up his sadness with a smile).

When the test results of my blood came in at last, the doctor had Dad follow him out of my room. I was alone for ten minutes and during that whole time I had my eyes on the door, waiting anxiously for my father to come back. When he did, I saw that his eyes were red and glazed over. He fell to his knees at the side of my bed and put a hand on my cheek.

"Kiku," he sounded as though he was trying not to cry, "I… The doctor just told me that you... have radiation poisoning, just like your mother."

I was quiet for a moment. I was trying to figure out what he meant by that. "Does that mean I'm going to go to heaven?" I finally asked.

Dad's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. "No, no," his voice cracked at the first 'no', "You're not…You're not."

At that age, I didn't know the real cause of my mother's death. Dad had told me that Mother contracted an illness shortly after I was born and died, or as Dad put it, 'went to heaven,' a few days later. I was under the impression that this radiation poisoning was the same illness that caused Mother to die.

Dad inhaled through his nose sharply and moved his hand away from my face, only to take both of mine into his own larger ones. "When your mom was still carrying you, that's when you contracted it. Because, you see, Kiku, when a baby is inside its mother they get certain things from both their parents. Their looks, some of their characteristics, and sometimes the babies can get sick too." he tried explaining genetics in a way that a five year old could understand.

"So then, Mama would get dizzy and puke? Or get warm like me sometimes?" I asked, looking down at my bedsheets.

Dad nodded his head at my question. "Yes, he would. Then at rare times, he'd faint."

What happened at Uncle Yao's house that night was not the first time I had experienced such symptoms, but it was the most serious. In the two years before this recent family reunion, there would be times where I'd feel nauseous and end up vomiting into the toilet. At other times, I would get either a fever, a headache, or pain in my abdominal area. Usually Dad would give me children's medicine for most of the symptoms, but when that wasn't enough, he'd take me to a doctor to get a prescription for a stronger medicine. The newest medicine had been working just fine, until a now.

"Papa… I'm sorry." I said after a moment of silence. I was trying not to cry myself, for I was scared now. I don't really know why, I just was.

Dad shook his head and his eyes went downcast. "No. I'm the one who should be sorry, Kiku. It's not your fault that you're like this and it's not Mama's fault either, it's… it's mine."

I sent him a questioning look. "I don't understand."

Dad released my hands so he could remove his glasses and wipe at his eyes.

"You're too young to understand, but I can at least say this," he took a deep breath and put his glasses back on, "A long time ago, way before you were born-" He paused there for a few seconds. "I... hurt your mother and that's when he got the radiation poisoning, which made him very sick. I felt so sad afterwards, but by that time it was already too late to take back what I had done. Though I had no choice except to return to Japan, I pulled through my sadness so I could help him and his country. He was never cured of his radiation poisoning, but he did improve in health."

Dad's eyes were growing glassy again. It was as though telling me that story was killing him on the inside.

I shook my head at him. " I don't understand," I repeated, "I thought you and Mama loved each other—"

"We did—do! I do. God, I still love your mother even today. And I love you too."

I was startled to see a tear roll down his face.

"Listen, Kiku, when you're older, I'll tell you everything. Right now, though, you just focus on beating that radiation poisoning. Don't let it hold you back! Also… I want to ask you something in advance. Um." he bit on his lower lip.

"What it is?" said I.

My father's shoulders were trembling and he could no longer hold back his tears. It must have taken him all his strength to looked me straight in the eye. "Can you ever forgive me?" it sounded more like a plea than a question.

I was shocked. "Of course I can forgive you! You're my papa! I think you're the best!" I smiled at my last sentence, hoping it might help cheer him up.

It didn't. Dad buried his face into my bed sheets so I wouldn't have to see his tears any longer and his hands clawed at the fabric. My smile shattered and I felt even more scared. To see my father so sad, it filled me with fright and made my own heart hurt. I put a hand atop his head, but I said nothing since I didn't know what to say in a situation like that. I was too little to understand what was wrong with me at the time, or why Dad had hurt Mother, or why Dad was expressing such grief. Now that I'm grown up, though, I can see why he didn't want to tell me at that age... I was so innocent.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

That dinner scene with Kiku and his family was inspired by a similar scene in the First Visual Novel of _Umineko No Naku Koro Ni_.**  
><strong>

*Buddha's delight - a vegetarian dish well known in Chinese cuisine. It consists of various vegetables and other vegetarian ingredients (sometimes with the addition of seafood or eggs), which are cooked in soy-sauce based liquid with other seasonings until tender. (wikipedia)

*turnip cake - A Chinese dish made of shredded radish and plain rice flour. Surprisingly turnip is not an actual ingredient! A more accurate name for it would be 'radish cake.' This dish is usually served in Cantonese _yum cha_ and is cut into square-shaped slices. In this case, with Kiku and his family eating it pan-fried, the turnip cake will have a thin crunchy layer on the outside from frying, and soft on the inside. A non pan-fried cake would be soft overall. (wikipedia)

Symptoms of radiation poisoning can vary due to the severity or mildness. Mild to moderate symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and leukopenia. Moderate to severe, leukopenia, purapura, hemorrhage, infections, and hair loss. Immediate symptoms of radiation are nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fever.


	4. Intermission 1

**Author's Note:** Remember when I said in the very beginning that the format of this story was going to be different? Well here is what I mean! Just so no one is confused, this takes place in the future, when Kiku is grown up. Specifically, this is after the war, but _before_ they all go to the flower field they were in during the Prologue.

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><p><span>Intermission 1<span>

"Kiku? Kiku? You alive?" I awoke to the sound of Henri's voice and his knuckles knocking against my door.

"Coming!" I got off my bed and quickly walked over to the door. Sure enough, there he was, dressed in full military uniform, wearing those black shades over his eyes as usual.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come so early." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mari was the one who sent me for you."

I shook my head. "It's alright. Wanna come in?"

He nodded and took my invitation. I was about to close the door until Henri shook his head and closed it for me, locking it too. I smiled and thanked him before heading back to my bedroom to get fully dressed (I had slept in my black uniform pants and a white undershirt.) I heard the chair scrape against the wooden floor as Henri took a seat at the small table in the kitchenette.

"So, why does Mari want us over this early in the morning?" I asked as I buttoned up my black naval jacket.

"I honestly don't know," he sighed, "I tried to object, but then she went off like a bomb on me."

"Doesn't she always go off like a bomb on anyone who disagrees with her?" I laughed, doing the last button.

"Trust me, if you had been there, you wouldn't be laughing."

I still laughed, shaking my head as I put on my black low-heeled shoes. Once I was ready, I went to where Henri was sitting. He adjusted his black military beret before standing up and walking out the door with me. I found a jeep parked in front of the house, with Louis sitting in the driver's seat. He waved at me.

"Morning, Kiku."

"Morning, Louis."

Henri and I climbed into the back seat and as soon as we were comfortable, Henri took out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. He took one, lit it with a lighter he took from his pants pocket, and gave it a long drag. Louis started the engine, driving us off in the direction of downtown Moscow. The city had been very lucky, for it was one of the few cities that was spared from the aerial bombings that took place during the last years of the war. For that reason, many civilians fled to the capital. From the jeep I could see people lining up at the soup kitchens for food, and at the red cross centers for any news on missing loved ones. Speaking of missing loved ones…

"Will Zhu be there too?" I asked.

Henri looked at me through his black shades, holding the cigarette with his teeth. "No, he's gone to _that_ place*."

I made an 'O' with my mouth and things went silent again, save for the sound of the jeep's engine and the rushing wind. I didn't like this quietness, so I searched for another question to ask.

"How are your sisters? I haven't seen them in months."

"Jeanne and Elizabeth are in Scotland with our uncle," Louis answered, "Dad wants them to stay there until things in London calm down."

Just as I was about to inquiry on what the situation in London was, the cries of children reached my ears, but it was in Russian so I could not understand them. Henri and I turned in our seats to see a group of Russian street children chasing after our jeep. Though I couldn't translate their words, I knew what they wanted from us: food. Henri turned his head away to hide his look of pity.

"It's the same every time we come down here." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What should we do?" Louis asked.

Henri reached into his pants pocket again, "The only thing we can do."

When he withdrew his hand, he was holding a wrapped chocolate bar. He turned in his seat and threw the candy bar into the group of children. One of the kids jumped in the air to catch it, but he was soon dog-piled on by the others. Henri saw this and took more bars out of both his pockets.

"What were you doing with all of those?" I asked him, smirking a bit despite the situation.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Kiku," he looked at me over his shades this time, "I got these for the kids back at the orphanage, not for me."

"Do you want me to throw some too?" Louis asked.

"You just concentrate on driving. If those kids want more food, then they should go to the orphanage. Mari will be more than happy to give them some."

With that, Henri threw the chocolate bars into the group of kids and they ceased chasing our jeep.

Within the next fifteen minutes, the three of us were just shooting the gun* when Louis pulled up and parked in front of a red-brick building. Before the war, it served as a school, now, it served as an orphanage with Mari working and living there. One by one, Henri, Louis, and I got out of the vehicle and we entered the building single file. As soon as Henri closed the door behind us, I heard the clicking of heels on the hard tile floor and Mari's figure appeared from around the corner. She was also wearing a military uniform (which had a red cross on one of the sleeves), along with black high-heeled boots, and her auburn hair was tied back in a bun. She sent a glare at us.

"What took you so damn long?" she hissed, "The children have been waiting for you!"

Henri took a step towards Mari, still holding the cigarette in his mouth. "We got distracted."

Mari continued to glare at him. She even yanked the cigarette out of his mouth. "How many times have I told you not to smoke here?" she waved the object in front of Henri's face, "I don't want the children breathing in this crap!"

Mari threw the cigarette to the tile floor and crushed it with the sole of her boot. She then swiftly turned her back on us to go back the way she came. When we heard her voice again, it sounded much happier and gentler. Within minutes, the sound of stampeding feet echoed the hallways and several kids appeared from the corner where Mari had first come from. Henri, Louis, and I were greeted with hugs, kisses from some of the girls, and we even received some flowers the kids had picked themselves. Henri handed out whatever chocolate bars he had left while Louis still had plenty to go around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mari playing a hand game with one of the younger boys. She looked so much more relaxed, then again, she always is whenever the kids are around her*.

See... Most of the children in this orphanage are five to fourteen years old, all of them Russian citizens, or immigrants from other countries. They like us not only because we give them sweets and other goods, but also because back during the war, we (as in Mari, Giovanna, Henri, Louis, Wolfgang, Caterina, Zhu, and myself) rescued them and offered care.

I heard a lot of giggling coming from Henri's direction and sure enough, when I looked, most of the girls were crowding around him. He was like a magnet to women, even Mari used to be infatuated with him once. I could not blame them, though, since he really was good-looking. He had green eyes, golden locks that fell to his shoulders (he usually keeps it in a small ponytail), three piercings on both ears, and a clean-shaven face. His full name is Henri Phillip Bonnefoy-Kirkland.

He smiled sheepishly at the girls and rubbed the back of his neck. He was just too nice to tell them that his heart already belonged to another.

I saw that Louis had a couple of girls around him too, except he appeared to be stammering quite a lot, not used to having such attention. His nervousness only made the surrounding girls giggle more. Louis Christophe Bonnefoy-Kirkland, Henri's younger brother and the second out of four children. He had blue eyes, dark blond hair, and a face that was just as handsome as Henri's. Unlike Henri, however, Louis seemed to have some confidence issues with himself and he was shy.

Finally, there's Mari. Actually, that's not her real name! Her name is Mariposa Florencia Carriedo-Vargas. She doesn't like the name Mariposa, though, she thinks it's dumb. That's why we shorten it to Mari. She once told me that her father gave her that name because on the day she was born, as her mother was holding her, a white butterfly flew into the hospital room through an open window and landed on the bed. Her father then grew very excited, saying it must be a sign from God to name her Mariposa*. Her mother, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and said it was only a coincidence. Whatever happened afterwards, Mariposa was written as her first name on her birth certificate in the end. She has green eyes and, though she often keeps her auburn hair in a bun or a ponytail, it's long enough to reach the middle of her back.

Then there is me. As I mentioned in the beginning, my full name is Kiku Nathaniel Jones-Honda. On my dog tags it reads 'Kiku N. Jones.' Reason we didn't add my mother's last name on it was because of the limited space. As for my middle name, it was after a friend that Dad knew during World War II*. Everyone tells me that I'm the spitting image of my mother and when I look at the pictures, they aren't lying. The only difference is that there's this one hair on my head that never goes down, like the one Dad has and my eyes, which are blue. Also like my father, I was born with great strength. I may not be as muscular as him, but my build was nothing to sneeze at. I'm pretty calm most of the time, not as soft-spoken as Louis and not as aggressive as Mari. As far as food goes, I'll eat almost anything, but my favorite dishes are meat, rice, and vegetables. I also enjoy travelling, to know the other things that lie in the world.

While the others and I are here in Moscow, Russia, our parents are back at the UN headquarters in New York, trying to figure out how the world will run with the war over. It's just us kids at the military base now, save for Mari and Giovanna who live at the orphanage with the children. Everything has been like this for two months now. I am well aware that such things take time and that it might even take a year to settle most of the problems, but the kid in my heart still longed for Dad's company and I'm sure the others felt the same way about their parents.

"Kiku! Kiku! Let's go play outside!" one of the youngest boys said to me in English, tugging on my sleeve eagerly.

"Hey, yeah! Henri, let's go too!" a five year old girl attached herself to his leg.

"Why don't we all go play outside?" Mari said.

There was a chorus of "yay's" and soon we were all being dragged to the back of the building, where the playground was. I got on the merry-go-round with some of the kids while Louis and other children spun us. Mari was on the swings with the smaller boys and girls. Henri stood by the monkey bars as a couple of the boys went across them. To my surprise, a six year old girl with brown hair in two ponytails climbed up the ladder. She seemed frightened because she just stood atop the ladder, staring at the monkey bars, not moving an inch from her spot. Suddenly, Henri walked over and picked her up into his arms, holding her high enough so she could grab the bars. With the assistance, she made it across and right before he set her back down she kissed his cheek.

I saw some other, older girls cover their mouths at the action. They soon went over to the smaller one once her feet were back on the ground, probably to ask her how it felt having Henri's arms wrapped around her. Sure, it was kind of cute, but I don't think I'll ever understand women. Then... if I couldn't understand women, how on earth was I supposed to understand Mari? She was a whole mystery by herself (and I have no doubts she'd hit me over the head if I told her that). She seemed to be angry most of the time, whenever she gets embarrassed (even a little) tears fall from her eyes, and when she's not angry she has mood swings.

Now that I think about it, though, I wouldn't want her any other way. Not her, not Louis, not Henri, not anyone. Then again… the way Zhu was now worried me. Ever since the end of the war, he's been depressed to the point where he doesn't eat or sleep. The others and I have tried our best to cheer him up, but we are reaching the point where we're running out of ideas.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This story will continue to jump back and forth between Kiku's childhood and the aftermath of the war.

*"_That_ place" that Henri mentioned, I can't say much now since I don't want go give away any major spoilers, but I will say that it is where Zhu goes to often after the war when he wants to be alone.

*Just to enlighten anyone who may not know: "We were just shooting the gun" is a phrase that basically means "We were just talking."

*Mariposa means "butterfly" in Spanish.

*Those who've read **Man's Best Friend** know exactly from whom Kiku got his middle name.

*All the unexplained details such as why Mari is so calm around the children, or why everyone is so worried about Zhu, and the war itself will be explained in future chapters. The same goes for the other children's backgrounds. Oh, and I have a fun question for all my readers: Who do you think is the one that has Henri's heart?


	5. Intermission 1, Part 2

**Author's Note:** Hello, dear readers! Sorry it took me two years to update this story, but a lot has been going on. First off, this was not supposed to be the next chapter. The next chapter was supposed to be about Kiku meeting the other nations' children at the conference, but when I had half of the chapter finished, I couldn't figure out how to write out the rest of it. So to make up for lost time, I placed this chapter in as a replacement; this was actually meant to be _Intermission 2_. Another thing that's kept me away from writing is that I was fighting depression for months, but now I'm well enough to continue on with my life and fics. **I am stil****l writing this story, I have no intention of abandoning it and leaving it unfinished.** I'm also still writing _I Am a Pirate, You Are a Prince_, but the only problem is that I'm having trouble on how to start it off. I've also gotten much more ideas for Hetalia fanfics and fics for other series! So I am happy to say that I'm back in business! Just don't expect me to post a new chapter every week, though.

**Also, a warning for this chapter: This does contain a yaoi lime, but no lemon. Feel free to skip that part if you wish.**

* * *

><p><span>Child Raising Arc – Intermission 1, Part 2<span>

_There was fire on nearly all the buildings and people were walking towards me. Some had their own skin hanging off of them, or worse, melting off of them. I trembled and backed away, but one of them reached a hand out for me; I saw pieces of glass and wood sticking out of it. I made a frightened noise before darting off in the opposite direction, but they kept following me. I felt so hot, not only because I was running so fast, but I could feel the heat from all the flames that surrounded me._

_I heard the neighing of a horse pierce the bright night from the distance, but it wasn't long before it was in my sight. It was a black horse on fire, neighing frantically and running in a blind fury as it tried to escape the fire that was engulfing it. I practically dove to the side to avoid its path, but when I looked over my shoulder, I saw the horse turn around. It was coming back at me! I scrambled to my feet and began to run again. To my horror, the burned, deformed people that had been chasing me earlier were now in front of me. They grabbed me and one of them put their hand on my mouth. They then turned me around, as though they wanted me to see the fast-approaching horse. Even though its skin was melting off, it kept running and neighing. I saw that the horse's eyes were glowing red now. It truly looked like a horse from hell._

_I felt tears fall down from the corners of my eyes just before the horse collided with me._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I awoke from my nightmare with a start, only to find myself sitting up in my bed, sweating, panting, and trembling. When I rubbed at my eyes, I felt wetness there. It took me about five minutes to remember where I was, but as soon as I did, I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand, not bothering to turn on the beside lamp. According to my phone, the time here in Moscow was one o'clock in the morning, but that wasn't the time I was concerned with. I quickly called Dad's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Kiku?" I heard him answer.

"Dad… Are you okay?" I asked.

"Of course I'm okay, but what about you? Did something happen?" he sounded worried.

Even though this was a phone conversation, I shook my head. "No, I—uh—just had a nightmare and I wanted to make sure everything was okay with you… How's the conference going anyway?" I didn't want him to ask about my dream, so I swiftly changed the subject.

I heard Dad sigh heavily. "No where."

"Oh…" I didn't know what else to say.

Dad went silent all of a sudden.

"Dad?"

"Kiku… you know, it probably won't be long before they summon you over here too."

It was my turn to go quiet. "…Yeah."

"I—I won't let them take advantage of you. You're still my son, after all."

I smiled a little. "I know."

"Are you lonely over there, Kiku?"

"Dad… I'm not a little kid anymore, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have Henri, Louis, Mari, and Zhu here with me. Although…" I paused, "I do wish they'd let you go so you can come back."

"I know, Kiku, I know. But just think, when this is all over, we can be a family again."

I didn't say anything in reply to that.

"I love you, Kiku."

It took me a few moments to answer back, "Love you too, Dad."

"Take care of yourself and remember you're free to call me anytime."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Dad hung up, but I was still too frightened to go back to sleep so I dialed another number on my cell phone. I also changed the way I was sitting so I was cross-legged on my bed now.

"Kiku?"

"Henri, I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't worry, you didn't, I've been out on the balcony, smoking. Now, do you mind telling me what's up?"

"I just… it's… Can you come over here?" I stuttered.

"Right now?" he asked, surprised.

"Look, if you have something that you—"

"No, no! It's fine. I'll be right over, just let me leave a note for Louis since he's already asleep."

"Alright, see you in a few then."

I hung up and put my phone back on the nightstand. Unable to think of anything else to do while I waited for Henri, I just sat there, on my bed, in the dark. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the nightmare, filling my head with any happy memories I could recall. Then, right in the middle of my thoughts, I saw the flaming black horse charging at me again. I closed my eyes tighter and held my face in my hands. I don't know how long I stayed like that, but when I heard the sound of a jeep outside I uncurled from that position.

I finally turned on my bedside lamp so there would be at least one source of light and made my way down the dark hallway. The moonlight coming in through the glass windows on either side of the front door gave off a ghostly glow.

I didn't care that I was only in boxers and a white T-shirt, I opened that door to find Henri still in his military uniform, except he wasn't wearing his shades anymore. He smiled at me.

"_Bonsoir*_." he greeted.

"Good evening." I returned.

I stepped aside so he could come in. Then as soon as I closed the door, I felt a pair of strong, warm arms snake their way around my waist, followed by Henri's chin making itself comfortable on my shoulder.

"What happened, Kiku?" he murmured into the bare skin of my neck.

I felt my face heat up instantly, not just from having Henri's arms around me, but the way he lowered his voice, making it sound so husky. I placed my own two hands on his arms.

"It was just a nightmare." I said.

His embrace tightened. "Just a nightmare?"

I went silent. Henri didn't say anything either, but he did turn me around in his arms so we could face each other. He cupped my chin with a gloved hand and tilted it up, forcing me to look into his green eyes.

"Was it one of _those_ dreams?" he asked me with a serious face.

I slowly nodded my head.

He began to move his thumb over my lips gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

My eyes looked to the side, but my chin remained in his grasp.

"The kitchen." I murmured.

He released me, only to take hold of my hand as I led him through the dark halls and into the also dark kitchen. I felt around for a chair, but I ended up stubbing my toe against a table leg. Though I hissed in pain, I did end up finding a chair to sit in. Henri took the one beside me before taking both my hands into his. I had to take a deep breath before telling him everything I saw in my nightmare. The deformed people, the burning buildings, and the flaming horse. I didn't need to explain how frightened I was since Henri must have felt my hands trembling.

"I think I was in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped. Or Nagasaki. I—I don't know." I shook my head. "But it was twisted and…" I couldn't finish that sentence, a knot was forming in my throat.

Henri gently squeezed my hands. "If that's the case, then maybe some of your own repressed memories interfered."

A cruel smirk somehow made its way to my lips. "I wouldn't be surprised," I said wryly, "My parents have seen so many fucked up things and now I have too."

One of Henri's hands moved to cup my cheek. Despite the darkness, I could feel his emeralds staring at me sternly. "Don't start talking like that." he said in an equally stern tone of voice.

I also moved one of my hands so it could join the one Henri had at my cheek. I held it close, my silent way of apologizing to him. "I'm tired." I mumbled.

"Well, let's go to bed then." said Henri.

We stood up and made our way to my room without any problems thanks to the lamp I had left on in there earlier. When Henri came into my room, however, he shielded his eyes from the light. I mentally slapped myself and switched the light off.

"Sorry, I forgot how sensitive your eyes are." I apologized.

"It's all right." said Henri.

I sat down on the side of my bed and couldn't help but watch Henri undress himself. First he removed his black beret, allowing me to see his golden mane. Then he undid the buttons of his military jacket before peeling it off his body. Now, my room has a single window covered by rather thin white curtains, allowing the moonlight to enter my personal dwelling. The fact that we were having a bright moon tonight only helped to make the pale light brighter.

Henri stripped himself of his white undershirt, revealing his toned body and the muscles that rippled under his pale skin with even the simplest of movements. He kept his pants on, but the band that was holding up his ponytail was the next thing to go, making his hair cascade down onto his shoulders. Once he folded his clothes and laid them on a chair that was in the corner, he took a seat on the foot of my bed so he could remove his boots, allowing me to get a better look at the lean muscles in his arms.

"You know, my bed wasn't exactly made for two people." I said, still staring.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to improvise." I could tell by his tone that Henri was smirking. "Kiku, stand for a moment, please."

I obeyed and after Henri had tossed his boots to the side, along with his socks, he also stood up so he could move the covers. He then laid down flat on his back and looked up at me, still smirking as he offered his hand to me.

"Come, don't be shy, Kiku." he said, his voice silky. It didn't help that the moonlight seemed to make his green eyes look as though they were shimmering, making him more alluring.

I blushed and crawled on top of him, laying my head on his chest as he pulled the warm blankets over us. One hand rested on my back while the other found its way into my hair. Henri planted a kiss atop my head, muttering French endearments in my raven locks. I let out an annoyed huff.

"You know I can't understand when you speak in French." I said.

I felt his chest vibrate as he laughed softly.

"Then maybe if I use action you'll understand." he said huskily.

Before I could realize what was going on, Henri turned us around so I was pinned underneath him. The covers had become entangled around us, making our bodies press against one another tightly. As soon as Henri kissed me, I opened my mouth to welcome his tongue in and I let him dominate… for a bit. I fought back and managed to get my tongue into his mouth. I played with his tongue first before moving over the roof of his mouth and a couple of his teeth. He tasted like smoke, making me frown against his lips. I pulled away, leaving only a thin line of saliva to connect our lips, but it broke when Henri licked his lips.

"Jesus, Henri, do you really have to smoke so much?" I asked, pouting.

He chuckled and pecked my forehead. "Does the taste displease you?" he cooed.

"You should be careful. Even though it won't kill you, all that smoke can't be good for you." I said sternly.

"Okay, okay," he chuckled again, "I'll try to cut down on the cigarettes. But right now, I have other things on my mind."

Before I could make a witty remark, his mouth was on my own again and he forced his tongue inside. I dug both hands into his hair as he explored and tasted me. Wet sounds were coming from our kiss, making me blush even more. Henri soon broke the kiss, though, and began to ravish my neck with kisses, bites, licks, and strong sucks. I gasped and gripped Henri's silky blond hair tighter. All that was going to leave marks on my skin, but I didn't care at the moment. Suddenly, one of his hands went under my shirt and began to knead at my chest, causing my eyes to fly open. I tried struggling, but the blankets were still entangled around us plus Henri placed a knee between my legs.

"S-Stop!" I gasped.

All of Henri's movements stopped immediately before I saw him lifting his head to lock eyes with me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

"I—I just don't feel like doing this now. The nightmare is still—" I was cut off when he gave me a quick chaste peck on my lips.

"As if I'd ever let a monster near you." he said when he pulled away.

"I know, but please, Henri. I don't feel up to this tonight, I just want to sleep." I said in an almost pleading tone.

Henri looked at me for a long time, but I could feel him withdrawing the hand that was beneath my shirt and as I stared into his brilliant green eyes, I saw that lustful hunger ebb away.

He nuzzled my cheek. "Alright, Kiku. Alright."

The knee between my legs was also drawn back, but he remained on top of me, nestling his face against the crook of my neck, kissing the mark he made just minutes earlier before closing his eyes. I kept one of my hands in his hair while the other rested at my side. Soon enough, I too rested my eyes and let sleep take me, Henri's warmth comforting me and making me feel safe.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

_Bonsoir_ - "Good evening" in French.

I know there's a couple of things that aren't being explained here, but they will come in future chapters! Now, I'm going to try and figure out how to finish the chapter that was meant to be here and how to begin that other fic.


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